The process of innovation within organizations remains largely untouched by the general trend toward improved efficiency through automation. The traditional model of stimulating innovative thought is through the application of psychological techniques such as brainstorming. The techniques bring limited improvement to the process.
More recently, there have emerged a number of computer based technologies which can be applied by a researcher or designer who is considering the creation or improvement of a device, process, or other system. These technologies can be defined as problem analysis tools.
Problem analysis tools assist the user by enabling the user to consider a complex system and identify discrete problems which should be addressed. These tools accomplish this by providing computer based interfaces which assist in the application of well understood methods of problem analysis including, but are not limited to, root cause analysis, TRIZ, value engineering, function analysis, and system benchmarking. An example of such a tool, called TechOptimizer, is a computer system marketed by Invention Machine Corporation of Boston, Mass. The technology used in TechOptimizer to assist in problem analysis is partially described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,056,428 and 6,202,043. The system disclosed in these two patents is fully described in TechOptimizer user guide, version 4.0, Invention Machine Corporation, Boston, Mass.
The TechOptimizer software suite includes a module, which allows a user to build a functional model of the design and/or technological process, to perform value diagnostics of the design and/or technological process, identify a better (for example, higher value) configuration of the design and/or technological process, and identify what problem has to be solved in order to implement this new configuration.
The deficiency with problem analysis tools is that while they greatly aid in the identification of specific issues to be address, they do not provide solutions to the identified problems. This can be understood by considering the following illustrative example. Consider an engineer who is trying to simplify the design of a soap dispenser. FIG. 1 illustrates a function model diagram of a soap dispenser which includes some scrubbing material. FIG. 2 shows a modified version of the soap dispenser model reflecting an intended change to the design of the bottle which eliminates the scrubbing material, yet preserves the scrubbing function by delegating that function to the liquid soap. This alternative design contains a new engineering problem that must be resolved in order to validate that this design is achievable—how can liquid soap perform a scrubbing function? FIG. 3 illustrates how a problem analysis tool might catalog and identify that problem for the engineer.
Once the problems have been identified, the user must conduct independent research using whatever means are available to find useful information. These means could include using books, public internet search engines, private data subscription services, internal enterprise portals, or other sources of relevant technical information.